Winner of:
Excellence in Organisation and People Development Award

A World Class Customer Experience Transformation Project

This was a programme of customer service transformation – including the construction of a customer service centre, inculcating a customer culture, and enhancing the skills of the customer service staff. This was achieved in six months with the Council having achieved its efficiency and customer service targets in the first year. 

The Judges said:This was a highly transferable total transformation of the Council’s public-facing services. It blends digital transformation culture change, and skill/knowledge-based development into a story with a particularly compelling before and after. To take just one example – before the transformation one customer query in five was answered at first contact with the Council, after the transformation four in five are. 

See more award winning entries

Excellence in Environmental Leadership
Supreme Award

Pathways to the Sea Strategy – Ngā Rerenga ki te Moana

Waikato District Council
Waikato Regional Council’s Ngā Rerenga ki te Moana Strategy improves safe fish passage through flood infrastructure, especially pump stations that harm native tuna. Based on six years of research with
Award Year: 2026
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Excellence in Collaborating for Results

Stronger Together Councils’ buy-out puts people at heart

Hastings District Council
Helping flood-devastated homeowners get their lives back on track following Cyclone Gabrielle drove the Hastings and Napier Voluntary Buy-out Programme, a pioneering model for disaster recovery in New Zealand. The
Award Year: 2025
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Excellence in Community Engagement

Whirinaki Managed Retreat

Northland Regional Council
In Whirinaki, Te Hikutū Hapū, supported by Northland Regional Council, led a proactive, hapū-driven managed retreat to address severe flood risk. Using mātauranga Māori and the PARA framework, the community
Award Year: 2026
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